Fic: Remedy for Jealousy
Naruto’s jaw is clenched tight as he glares at the group gathered around Mr Baki’s bed. Next to him Kankuro is watching him warily. The older surgeon’s eyes flicker between Naruto’s face and the group of interns. A knowing smile slowly forms on his face, causing Naruto to tighten his grip on the paper coffee cup in his hands.
“You know,” Kankuro drawls, “if you keep squeezing that cup you’re going to end up burning yourself.”
“Shut up,” Naruto grouches, barely sparing his colleague a glance.
Kankuro chuckles and Naruto can sense the smirk he’s undoubtedly wearing. “You’re very touchy when you’re jealous aren’t you?”
“I’m not jealous!” Naruto protests loudly. He quickly glances over at the group of interns but, luckily, it appears they are too far away to hear. With a silent sigh of relief he turns to glare at Kankuro.
The older surgeon is unimpressed. “Come off it Uzumaki. You’ve been glowering at Gaara’s interns all day. At first I thought it was because they nearly killed your patient by giving him the wrong meds. But those particular interns aren’t the ones your wrath is directed at are they?”
Naruto turns away from Kankuro’s probing stare. His gaze immediately lands on the earlier recipients of his glare - two female interns who are hovering as close to Gaara as possible without invading his personal space. It makes Naruto sick to his stomach to see the way they look at him; all hungry lustful eyes and smiles that are just a second away from becoming expressions of ‘come hither’. Naruto knows that Gaara is good-looking and desirable, but he doesn’t want it to be rubbed in his face like this. Watching the way they thrust their cleavage at him makes Naruto angry, makes him want to hurt someone. The worst part is that Gaara makes no move to end it.
One of the offensive interns drops her pen and makes a show out of picking it up. As Gaara’s eyes follow her movements Naruto squeezes too hard and the contents of the coffee cup explode over his hand. “Son of a-” Naruto shouts as the still hot coffee burns him.
Kankuro is the first one to react, grabbing paper towels in order to soak up the liquid. “Idiot! I told you to be careful!” he reprimands as he glances about for something cold. One of the nurses quickly offers him a bottle of water, the plastic still frosty and opaque from being in a freezer. With a mumbled word of thanks the surgeon presses the bottle against the angry red skin of Naruto’s hand and tells him to keep it there. Naruto obeys, too stunned to do otherwise.
The cold numbs the pain and Naruto returns to his senses. He realises that all eyes are still on him and slowly turns towards the group of interns. Gaara is watching him, his teal green eyes curious and marginally concerned. Naruto quickly looks away, not wanting to deal with the doctor right now.
“It’s not a bad burn,” Kankuro comments as he examines Naruto’s hand. He then drops the limb and the bottle of water as if they were both diseased and says, “You can do that on your own.”
Naruto frowns and holds the bottle against his burn. When he moves to restart his conversation with Kankuro he realises that his colleague is not looking at him. Instead he is looking at the doctor who has appeared before them as silently as if he were a ghost. Naruto stares at Gaara and the look on his face that he can’t quite place.
“You’re annoyed with me,” is all Gaara says.
Kankuro excuses himself and makes a hasty retreat. Naruto watches him go before turning back to Gaara. The silence stretches between them as Naruto searches for something to say.
Taking his silence as an affirmative Gaara gently takes Naruto’s burnt hand. He examines the reddened flesh carefully before raising the hand to his lips. Naruto can’t help but be taken aback by the unusual public display of any affection.
Gaara lowers the hand from his lips and there is a small, devious smile there. “I hear that kissing something heals it,” he says playfully. He then invades Naruto’s personal space, a lustful glint in his eyes. “This one’s for your ego.”
As Gaara kisses him Naruto thinks that even if kissing doesn’t make his hand any better it definitely heals his bruised ego. And even though Gaara’s tongue pressing against his lips and his hand on Naruto’s ass has no medical relevance in this situation, he still appreciates them being there.
The kiss doesn’t last long enough for Naruto’s liking. As soon as Gaara moves away Naruto pulls him back for more, but instead of meeting his lips Gaara whispers in his ear, “We’ve made our point. My interns won’t bother either of us from now on, so save your passion for the bedroom.”
Naruto takes a moment to process this before a foxy grin spreads across his face. He releases Gaara and watches with rapt attention as the doctor struts back to his interns, many of whom seem distraught. Naruto bites back his laughter, knowing Gaara won’t approve.
“So, what have we learned?” Kankuro asks as he reappears beside Naruto.
“That Gaara and I are having make-up sex tonight.”
Kankuro’s mouth twists with disgust as he whacks the back of Naruto’s head. “Idiot. I meant what have you learned about being jealous.”
Naruto pauses in his objection that he wasn’t jealous. “That Gaara isn’t interested in slutty interns so there’s no reason for me to be worried about him having an affair with one of them?”
The older surgeon grins. “Bingo. Now move your ass; you’re removing an appendix in twenty minutes.”
With one final glance at Gaara, Naruto follows Kankuro to the operating theatre, secure in the knowledge that Gaara loves him and that his interns don’t stand a chance.